New Delhi:Opposition parties on Saturday criticised the BJP after it announced Yogi Adityanath's name as the new Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, saying it was pursuing the "politics of Hindutva".

Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha said the decision sent out an "unambiguous" message that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is pursuing the policy of polarisation.

"There is a categorical, unambiguous message being sent by Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi. With the choice of a very communal, Hindutva champion like Yogi Adityanath, the BJP is going to pursue a policy of clear polarisation, which will effectively mean the consolidation of a hardline Hindutva ideology not just in Uttar Pradesh but in the country," Jha told IANS.

"This needs to be read in the context of the fact that the BJP did not give even a single ticket to Muslim candidates in the whole of Uttar Pradesh," he said.

About the statements by BJP leaders that development will be the party's main agenda in the state, Jha said: "Development is only a facade to actually pursue the Hindutva agenda in India."

"At the end of the day, this is a party that is driven by orders they receive from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh headquarters in Nagpur... we all know about the very inflammatory language used by Yogi Adityanath over the last several years," he said.Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy said: "The BJP is in majority and it is their prerogative as to whom they name as the Chief Minister. But it is evident that the BJP wants to pursue a strong Hindutva line in Uttar Pradesh."

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Brinda Karat said the RSS wanted to make Uttar Pradesh the centre of its Hindutva project. "The choice is clear RSS agenda because they want to develop Uttar Pradesh as the centre of their Hindutva project," Karat told IANS.

"All the tall talk of development has gone out of the window; they have chosen a man who made his political career through hate speeches and communal violence. A man who has several criminal cases against him. Such a man is going to be the Chief Minister -- it is a sad day for Uttar Pradesh and a sadder day for India," Karat said.

The name of Gorakhpur Lok Sabha MP Yogi Adityanath, a firebrand Hindutva leader, was announced as the new Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister in a meeting of the newly-elected 312 BJP legislators on Saturday.